WINDOW

ON WESLEY’S

MAY 2016

STAFF Ministers: The Revd the Lord Leslie Griffiths MA

(Superintendent) Rev Jennifer Potter BTh MA MSc Associate Ministers: Rev Pauline Barnett MA (Supernumerary)

Rev John Beebe (Supernumerary) Rev John Cooke MA (Supernumerary) Rev Brian Goss MA (Supernumerary) Rev Robert Maginley Rev Stephen Penrose (Supernumerary)

Rev Ken Start (Supernumerary) Rev Ian Yates (Supernumerary)

Student Presbyter: Mr Kido Baek BTh MA Leysian Missioner: Mrs Judith Bell BA Lay Members: Dr Peter Briggs OBE Dr Joy Leitch BSc DipEd MA

Museum: Mr Christian Dettlaff MA (Curator) Miss Aisha Al-Sadie BA (Hons)(Learning Support Officer) Administration: Mrs Tracey Smith Operations: Mr Adrian Beviss Mr Ian Beesley Organist: Mr Elvis Pratt BEng (Hons) Church Office: 49 City Road London EC1Y 1AU (T) 020 7253 2262 (E) administration@wesleyschapel.org.uk

Dear Friend The month of May bursts upon us with blossom and sunshine and many shades of green. The spirit rises in the breast and all seems right with the world. That’s as it might be, of course. Many people are ailing, carrying huge burdens, worrying about how they’ll face each new day. And our hearts go out to them. None of us, of course, can ignore the suffering of people whose faces we see on our televisions screens day after day. Those poor refugees in their huddled masses, looking out through wire fencing at a free world beyond the camp that imprisons them. That’s the image that’s imprinted on my mind. So many of them have survived the winter and yet they cannot enjoy freedom. A cold-hearted world looks on, wishes they’d go away, remains in denial. How long, O Lord, how long? May is also the month when I remember my dear departed brother on his birthday. He died 16 years ago at the young age of 57. He’d been a heavy smoker and died of lung cancer. But nothing could diminish his spirit whilst he was alive and nothing can dull my memory of him since his death. We were like twins, filled with fellow feeling for each other, a closeness forged by the poverty we’d endured together in our earliest years. I still miss him terribly. I’m spending a weekend in Indiana at the beginning of the month. The University of Evansville has decided to confer an Honorary Doctorate upon me! I shall be a Doctor of Humane Letters – DHL, which is the way they intend to return me to these shores. And so I write in the month when we celebrate the conversion of the Wesley brothers, the glorious season on Pentecost, and the beginnings of summer. This comes to you with all my usual greetings, especially if you’re going through difficult times.

The Lord bless you and bless you kindly, Leslie Griffiths – May 2016

Church News

Our condolences go to the Addo Family on the death of their brothers, Alfred Opoku-Ware and Kwame Hanson. The funeral service will take place at St Olave’s Church, Woodberry Down on Thursday 12

th May at 11.00am. May they know that we hold them

in our prayers. Also bereaved, rather suddenly, is Augustine Annor whose sister, Margaret, died in Ghana on the 23

rd April. Our sympathies go out

to the Annor family. Our sympathy also goes out the Mbeah Bankas family on the death of Seth’s mother, Mrs Mercy Gawugah. Seth was just returning from a visit o her in Ghana when the news of her passing reached him. Our congratulations go to Judith Burton and Alex Bell on their wedding on the 9

th April. It was held in the beautiful surroundings

of Caius College Cambridge, on a beautiful day and with a beautiful bride. May they have a long and happy married life together. We are pleased to announce that Ian Beesley has joined our staff here at the Chapel. He is a welcome addition to our caretaking team and will normally work Monday to Wednesday each week. So, if you spot him in and around the premises please do say hello and introduce yourself.

Methodists meet the Pope in Rome

Here is an edited extract from the address of Rev Gareth Powell, Secretary of the Methodist Conference to the Pope:

‘Your Holiness,

We bring you the greetings of the Methodist people.

It is a particular pleasure to greet you in the year when the English speaking Methodist community, here in Rome, celebrates 60 years of worship and ministry at Ponte Sant' Angelo Church.

The dialogue between Methodists and Catholics continues to enrich our understanding of each other and also of ourselves.

That the formal dialogue takes place at an international level is vital to our understanding of the breadth of God's creation. That churches in this City and in a whole variety of local communities give expression to our common faith in Christ is vital to our faithful search for deeper unity.

Your Holiness's declaration of a Year of Mercy is one in which the Methodist people take a most particular interest. The proclamation of the mercy of a loving God stands at the heart of all that John Wesley, our founder, stood for. His brother Charles expressed it in his hymns.

In this gift of a copy of the Hymns on the Lord's Supper by John and Charles Wesley you will find something of the Methodist emphasis on the depth of God's loving purposes.

We pray that together we may find a deeper sense of our shared calling.’

The meeting with the Pope followed the dedication of a new Methodist Ecumenical Office at the Ponte Sant'Angelo Methodist

Church in Rome. The World Methodist delegation can be seen photographed in the Church.

This initiative is aimed at promoting greater understanding of the

worldwide communion through education programmes and the welcome it can offer from its location just across the Tiber from St Peter's Basilica.

The Revd. Dr Tim Macquiban, Director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office in Rome, said: "We ask all to hold the ecumenical work of the office in your prayers at this important stage of its development.”

World Methodist Council presence in

Methodist Church House

Bishop Ivan Abrahams, General Secretary of the World Methodist Council, will be taking up semi-permanent residence at Methodist Church House, London, following the official opening of a new desk for the World Methodist Council European Office. Present at the opening were Kirby Hickey, (seen in the photo) Treasurer/CFO of the WMC; Doug Swanney, Connexional Secretary; David Friswell, World Church Relations Team Leader; representative members of the WMC British Committee and members of the Connexional Team. Notably absent from the event was Bishop Ivan Abrahams himself, who was not able to attend due to illness. In Ivan Abraham’s place, Kirby Hickey officially unveiled the desk – cutting a paper chain reflecting the broken slave chains that are depicted around the sides of the Methodist Church House font. (The companion stone to the one in the font at Wesley’s Chapel) This font is carved from one of the stone steps of Nathaniel Gilbert’s house in Antigua. Gilbert, a slave owner, was probably the first person to share his Methodist faith outside the British Isles in 1760.

Speaking at the event, Kirby said: “It is very fitting that the first European desk of the World Methodist Council should be set up in London, where the first ever meeting of the World Methodist Council first took place all those years ago. “It’s a great honour to be opening this desk and may it grow our already close links even closer.” The very first meeting of the World Methodist Council (then known as the Ecumenical Methodist Council) was held at Wesley’s Chapel in 1881. Jennifer Potter

Adam Clarke – a Little-known Genius

This painting can be found in the top of John Wesley’s House. It shows Adam Clarke, one of Mr Wesley’s preachers, in conversation in 1818 with two Buddhist priests from Ceylon – the modern day Sri Lanka. It is remarkable because it is a very early example of inter-faith dialogue. While Clarke viewed Christianity as the way to God, he still considered that the Holy Spirit was at work in the

consciences of all people. Even earlier in his life, in 1791 in Dublin Clarke had instructed a Muslim merchant from Turkey in the Christian faith and the person converted to Christianity – as did the two Buddhist priests in the painting. So Clarke’s interest and concern for people of other faiths was largely evangelical. Clarke had been born in Moybeg in Ireland somewhere around 1762.His father had Quakers in his family and his mother was from the Hebrides and was of Presbyterian descent. As a young

man Adam Clarke heard the Methodist preacher, John Brettel and he was an attentive hearer. In 1782 he met John Wesley himself and was invited to come over to England and to be at the school at Kingswood. This was a difficult experience for Clarke as he felt he was not welcomed or desired by the staff at Kingswood but an imposition on them by Mr Wesley. He survived, found a half guinea while digging in the garden and with it was able to buy a Hebrew grammar and begin to study. This was the small beginning which culminated in him writing a very considerable and well-respected Bible commentary. He became one of Mr Wesley’s preachers and pre-eminent scholars of early Methodism. He was appointed here to the City Road Chapel in 1795 and again in 1805. He was elected three times as President of the Conference and died in 1832 aged 72years. He is buried in the grave just to the right of Wesley’s grave at the rear of the Chapel. He was one of the preachers who had a great concern for Scotland and especially the Shetland Islands – the main Church in Lerwick, capital of the Shetlands is the Adam Clarke Memorial Church. We shall have more about Adam Clarke in forthcoming editions of Window on Wesley’s and especially about his involvement with people of other faiths. Jennifer Potter

Methodism on one of Britain’s smallest islands Fair Isle, situated 25 miles off the southern tip of the main Shetland Islands, is the most isolated inhabited island in the British Isles. It is roughly rectangular in shape and is three miles by one and half miles and is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The current population is around 70 people although this number is swelled by visitors in summer. It has a Primary

School with two classes (no more than 15 pupils) and older children of Secondary School age have to travel to Lerwick, Shetland’s capital to school. There is a resident nurse but no doctor, one shop and two churches – a Church of Scotland building and a Methodist Church which dates from 1886. The first visiting ordained Methodist minister, John Lewis, arrived on Fair Isle by open boat on 5

th June 1824. He was

part of the group that was sent to Shetland as a result of the preaching of a zealous layman, John Nicolson, who created several Methodist classes on his native island. For ten years Dr Adam Clarke continued to take a keen personal interest in the Shetland Mission, urging, ‘I would not have even the least of the Shetland islands unvisited, let not one inhabited rock be without a Methodist sermon.’ In 1973 Mrs Best became the Fair Isle District Nurse and her husband John, a Methodist Local Preacher, studied and became ordained in 1992 as a Minister in Local Appointment. He is still

serving on Fair Isle. The Methodist Chapel’s blue pews have earned it the nickname, ‘the blue Chapel.’ The congregation is very ecumenical including Baptist, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland and Orthodox.

Wesley’s Chapel has a number of links with the Shetland Islands. Elizabeth Colley, a deacon who served at the Chapel is now living on Shetland and Alastair Stout, who was assistant organist here between 1993 and 2001, lived on Shetland and

visited relatives on Fair Isle frequently. He is now the organist at Coraopolis United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, USA. Let us pray for the Methodist witness in the Shetland Islands and especially for the community on Fair Isle. Jennifer Potter

Asbury Celebrations April 9

th was the date for the commemoration of the 200

th

anniversary of the death of Francis Asbury, a pioneer evangelist and one of Wesley’s missionaries ordained to oversee the Methodist work in North America. Hundreds of people attended a day of special events at the Black County Living Museum, Dudley to celebrate the 200

th Anniversary of the death of a

local man who helped shape modern America, Bishop Francis Asbury.

A day of costumed choirs, special services and talks were held at the museum, attended by hundreds of Methodists from across the UK in addition to the museum's regular visitors.

Also present were special guests from the United Methodist Church in America, where Asbury is revered as one of those who helped define the nation as much as the Methodist Church.

A humble metal worker from the Black Country who became an itinerant Methodist minister, Asbury answered a request by John

Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist Church, for preachers to serve in America.

Asbury's passion and determination meant that Methodism survived the American War of Independence to become an important part of the founding of the young country.

From fewer than 1,200 members, the Church grew to more than 210,000 thanks to Asbury's efforts.

One of the visitors from America was John Strawbridge, a direct descendent of one of the first preachers to go to America from Ireland. He came to Wesley’s Chapel and read in the service on the day after the Asbury celebrations. He is seen on the right in the photo together with Rev Fred Day and Bishop Mary Ann Swinson.

GEORGIA, USA IN THE STEPS OF THE WESLEYS.

As Heritage Stewards at Wesley's Chapel we meet and talk to visitors from all over the world. We greet many visitors from America and it was therefore a wonderful opportunity to be able to join a group, led by June and Peter Curtis, travelling to Georgia, USA. One of the main focuses of the tour was to explore the origins of the colony, the faith of the early colonists and in particular the story of John and Charles Wesley's time in Georgia. Seventeen of us met at Heathrow Airport and flew to Atlanta where we were met by our Georgian guide and our coach driver, both of whom soon became part of the group. Our 'Wesley Trail' started when we drove down to St. Simon's Island and visited 'Epworth by the Sea’.

This is an interesting and beautiful place with tranquil and peaceful gardens and conference and worship facilities. Here we had a tour of the Arthur J. Moore Museum of Methodism which traces the history of Methodism from the time of John and Charles Wesley landing in America in 1736 until the present day. For

two stewards from London it was particularly interesting to learn how the American Church had developed and to find out more about the influence of Thomas Coke, Francis Asbury and other preachers sent out by John Wesley to continue the work.

Our journey then took us to Christ Episcopal Church where the Church Administrator told us about John and Charles preaching there and pointed out two windows commemorating them. Across the road from the church is the Wesley Memorial Gardens another tranquil spot planted with native trees and shrubs. The road between the church and the garden is the Military Road to Fort Frederica which was frequently walked by the Wesley brothers as Charles Wesley was General Oglethorpe's secretary. The following day we left for Savannah passing Cockspurs Island the point where John and Charles first landed in America on February 7

th 1736. There is a

commemorative marker recording the event and the place where they landed. Savannah is an historic, interesting and beautiful city. Our 'Wesley Trail' here started with a City Tour, on a bus named 'John Wesley', to see various sites including Wesley's Parsonage and garden, his statue, where he preached his first sermon and the Town Hall where he held

regular services. We took in the historic part of Savannah too including the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and the Colonial Park Cemetery. Unfortunately Christ Church was closed but it was here where John Wesley was appointed the Anglican Minister and where he started America's first Sunday School and published the first Hymnal for use in America. Incidentally George Whitefield followed John Wesley as Christ Church's next minister. The cooperative links between the religious congregations of Savannah was emphasised when we visited the Congregation Mickve Israel, founded by members of the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London, who had used the Methodist Church when their building had burnt down. In Salzburg, Austria, a large number of Lutherans had been expelled because they would not conform to Catholicism, eventually they settled in Ebenezer, Georgia, under their Pastor Johann Martin Boltzius. John Wesley frequently visited them and he and the pastor became friends. We spent a very interesting time at Ebenezer touring the Ebenezer Lutheran Church and the Salzburger Museum discovering many links to John Wesley and the hard life that people lived there. The 'Methodist' part of our trip ended as we joined a service at The First United Methodist Church of Pine Mountain, not far from Atlanta. Here we were made very welcome and came away with presents of mugs, pens and loaves of bread. During the trip we also learnt about the War of Independence, the American Civil War, slavery and the Civil Rights movement as well as visiting tourist destinations. Maybe more about that later! Carole Merriman & Barbara Thompson – Heritage Stewards

Aldersgate Sunday and Wesley Day

May is a Methodist month with the commemoration of John Wesley’s ‘heart-warming experience’ on the 24

th May and a

similar experience for his brother, Charles, three days earlier. It is

also traditional to keep the Sunday before the 24th May as

Aldersgate Sunday – Aldersgate being the street not far from the current Chapel and close to the Museum of London, where John Wesley had his experience. We hope to have members of the Susanna Wesley Mission Auxiliary – UK Branch worshipping with us that Sunday, 22

nd May. That same evening we shall host a

special service for our London Methodist District in which we shall hear the testimonies of those going forward to Conference for ordination from our District. One of the new hymns in Singing the Faith is particularly appropriate for singing on Aldersgate Sunday and Wesley Day. It was written by the New Zealand hymn-writer Shirley Erena Murray for the 250

th anniversary of Wesley’s conversion

experience in 1988.

How small a spark has lit a living fire! How small a flame has warmed a bitter world! How great a heart was moved to hope, to dare

And bring the faith out in the open air!

No boundary sign will stand against this faith, no wall restrain this preaching of the Word: the Good News travels on, it rides the road

and draws to unity the realm of God.

The single note becomes a psalm of praise, the single voice grows to a swelling choir

and born in song, new stories now are sung of freedom, chains inbound and loosened tongue.

Thank God for all who listened and believed,

who still are by the Spirit set on fire – our hearts be warmed again, for Christ will wait

on beach, in upper room, or Aldersgate.

The hymn alludes to a number of aspects of the life of John and Charles Wesley and to Methodist tradition in general:

Verse 1: “to dare and bring the faith out in the open air!” John Wesley, rather reluctantly at first, began preaching out of doors because his evangelical message and embrace of working class people was not welcome, by and large, in the Anglican parish churches of the time. Verse 2: “the Good News travels on, it rides the road”. Both Wesley brothers, but John in particular, rode thousands of miles on horseback across the length and breadth of Britain, preaching and establishing new meetings of Methodists. Verse 3 “born in song” is a phrase that was used in the preface to the 1933 Methodist Hymn book and was also used in the opening line by Brian Hoare in his hymn, which sing regularly here at the Chapel. Verse 4 uses the words Wesley himself used to describe his experience on the 24

th May “our hearts be warmed again.”

See below for a slightly expanded outline of the timetable for May 24

th when we hope to officially open the newest and final

exhibition case in the Museum.

WESLEY DAY TUESDAY MAY 24TH

2016

5.00pm Evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral 6.00pm Short Office at the Wesley Statue, North Steps of St.

Paul’s Cathedral 6.30pm Short Office at the Wesley Conversion Site, Museum of

London 6.45pm Pass by St. Giles’ Cripplegate en route to Bunhill Fields 7.00pm Short Office at the grave of Susanna Wesley, in Bunhill

Fields, opposite Wesley’s Chapel 7.15pm Service in the forecourt of the Chapel with the President

of the Conference, Revd Steve Wild, preaching. 7.30pm Refreshments in the Chapel 8.00pm Official Opening of the ‘World Parish’ Exhibition in the

Museum

8.15pm Short Office around the Tomb of John Wesley with a message from the Vice President of the Conference, Dr Jill Barber.

9.00pm Departure

Shame This is a poem written by Joshua Akhigbe-Fredericks – an eight year old in our Church and a member of the Boys’ Brigade. It has been chosen for publication in the Young Writers’ Magazine – the only one from his school, St. John the Baptist Primary School. Well done, Joshua!

Shame lives in shameful places,

It makes you red, And you just want to go to bed.

Sometimes it can make you from zero to hero!

And I wish it could Make happy places.

Breaking a glass, Breaking a pencil tip

These are the things that make Shame lame!

Leysian Missioner’s letter Dear Friends, Last month I wrote about Christian Aid Week, and in particular the

Circle the City sponsored walk. My thanks to all those who have signed up already for what promises to be a great day. For those who haven’t signed up yet – it’s not too late to join us! Please sign up in advance

with Kido or myself. Not walking this year? Please sponsor someone. Our walkers will no doubt be going round after church asking for your support, but if you can’t find them please speak to me and I can link you up. Some of you may be aware that I spent a few days away from the Chapel in March to join with Methodist Lay Workers from across the country at the Connecting Disciples Conference. March may seem like a long time ago, but with Holy Week and Easter, and everything else that has been going on here at the Chapel I’ve not had much time to ‘digest’ what happened. I’m looking forward to time to reflect on it over the next month. Watch this space! Finally, on a personal note, I’d like to say thank you for the many

good wishes and prayers that have come my way over the past month. Alex and I feel blessed to have had such a positive start our marriage. Thank you for your support. Please note, that I have changed my surname (from Burton to Bell), but no doubt there will be a bit of a transition period

as I remember to change things over. As always please do get in touch if I can be of help, you’d like a visit, or just want a listening ear. Prayers and best wishes, Judith Bell – Leysian Missioner

SERENDIPITY TWENTY-ONE Charles Wesley - The Other Methodist Part Three: Question Answered - doubts resolved: In the earlier parts of this article, the question of whether Charles Wesley’s contribution to Methodism, and indeed Charles himself, has been properly remembered in Wesley’s Chapel, John Wesley’s House and the Museum of Methodism, has been discussed. In this way, it has been shown that any tour around the Wesley’s campus ought to furnish any discerning witness with ample evidence to provide a satisfactory answer to the question. But if not, then this final part of the article should serve to do so. Of course, the exhibits in the Museum of Methodism are not the only things, drawing attention to John’s brother that can be found on the Wesley’s campus although a major role is amply fulfilled by the monument in the apse of the Chapel. Certainly the epitaph it carries provides a useful summing up of the life of Charles, and his achievements, as the Methodists of the time, when the plaque was commissioned, liked to think of him. It should, however, be noted, that the line in the inscription which reads, “A sincere friend of the Church of England”, which now has a “good ecumenical ring”, was something of a backhanded compliment at the time when the inscription was inscribed, as Methodists were then seeking to distance themselves from the State Church and Charles was considered to have too close an affinity with that body. A perhaps, more tangible, reminder of Charles Wesley, and one more easily approached than the plaque, is also available for all to see, and if lucky, to hear. This being in the form of the little single manual pipe organ which since the 1950’s has sat in an alcove in the Foundery Chapel and provided musical accompaniment for the hymns at the services which are held there.

The mechanism of this organ, which was made in the 1760’s, but is now housed in an ornate case of circa 1820, once formed part of an instrument owned by the Charles Wesley family, probably at their Bristol or Marylebone home. Although his wife Sarah once observed that the only musical instrument she knew Charles to have played, was a flute when a student, it is difficult not to believe that he might have, on at least some occasions, when in his parlour, let his fingers stray over the keys of the organ which is now held in the Foundery Chapel. Charles was of course a poet, and unlike the rest of his family, not a musician, and while as a preacher, he had the powerful voice needed in the days before electronic amplification, in order to address large open air assemblies, and according to some reports, a fine singing voice, his son Samuel is recorded as saying that while, his father, “could join in a hymn or simple melody tolerable well in tune, he had not a vocal talent”. Indeed Charles himself confessed that his children’s musical abilities must have come from their mother’s side of the family. Be this as it may, the hymns that Charles wrote show every signs of having been carefully composed by someone who knew how to fit his words to those popular tunes of the day with which the Methodist singers would have been familiar and could use to vocalise their faith. All this of course means, that while the organ was in the possession of Charles, it is unlikely that he ever actually made music from it, instead it is more than probable that his wife Sarah, who was fond of playing that precursor of the piano, the harpsichord, could actually also have exercised her talents on the organ when it was in the parlour of their home. More certainly perhaps, the most frequent users of the instrument were likely to have been Charles junior and Samuel, the two sons of Charles and Sarah, who were both musical prodigies, and in adulthood, noted organists: Charles junior being a good enough musician to be considered as suitable for the post of organist at the Chapel Royal. Samuel, who was possibly not such a talented organist as his brother, is better known as a writer of musical compositions including some tunes for certain of his father’s hymns.. So much of a prodigy was Samuel, that it is recorded that at the age of six

he composed an oratorio, although waiting until he was eight before writing it down. A print of him aged about twelve, is the picture mentioned earlier, that hangs just outside the Preachers Room on the second floor of John’s House. The scene depicted shows Samuel standing holding a manuscript of music, while in the background of the picture, is an organ which has what might have been the original appearance of the instrument now standing in the Foundery Chapel. All this means, that while Charles might not himself have played upon the Foundery Chapel organ he was certainly the owner of the most important part of it and certainly must have heard the instrument being played in his home and at family prayers have joined in the singing of some of his hymns it accompanied. Even if visitors to Wesley’s miss seeing the Foundery Chapel, fail to notice the connotations of its organ, or miss the memorial plaque, then tangible mementos of Charles Wesley exist elsewhere on the Wesley’s campus. For example, the main Chapel itself holds just such a reminder in the form of the pulpit standing at the front “full square” before the apse. This is because, in the years between 1778 when the Chapel opened. and 1788, when Charles died, he was a frequent occupier of this pulpit. Indeed, often to the annoyance of other Methodist preachers who felt themselves excluded thereby from preaching at the major centre of London Methodism. This was because, whenever John Wesley was away from London, Charles considered that he had first claim, by right, to preach from the pulpit, in his brother’s stead. The book, “One in London”, by Max Woodward, and which is on sale in the Museum of Methodism, describes one memorable occasion on which Charles preached in the Chapel. This was at a time just before Charles died and when the pulpit was still at its full original height as a “three decker” not cut down as it is now. At this particular service, Charles was preaching from the top level of the pulpit and Dr Coke, in the role of Leader, was sitting at

the middle section, the reading desk, below. Charles, renowned for his vigorous style, of “commending his Master”, was wholly engrossed in preaching with an “out flowing power and eloquence that only inspiration could impart”, when the free movement of his arms, and the loose sleeves of his gown, swept the hymn book from the ledge in front of him and onto the head of Dr Coke below. The latter, in surprise, upon looking up, and seeing the Bible itself half over the edge, is said to have waited expectantly to catch it in his arms. Sure enough it too was soon dislodged by Charles, who remained quite oblivious of the loss of the books, till he had finished speaking. We do not have a picture of this particular event, but an engraving showing Charles preaching, and which illustrates the “vehement style” with which it was conducted, can be seen. This being the print, described earlier in this article, which can be found hanging on the wall just outside the door to the first floor room in John Wesley’s House which served as John’s study. The Wesley Chapel pulpit is now reserved exclusively for the use of preachers at the Sunday services and on other great occasions. These personages alone are permitted to risk life and limb by ascending its steps. Visitors anxious to have the opportunity to emulate John and Charles as preachers, can do so nevertheless, since a less exclusive, and indeed more accessible, pulpit, once preached from by both Wesley brothers, as well as by most of the pioneers of early Methodism, is available for all visitors to use in order to get the “Wesley” experience. This being, the pulpit from the Foundery, the Wesley’s first London Headquarters, where Charles was a frequent preacher that is now kept on display in the north east corner of the Museum of Methodism. Here any visitor can be, and often is, photographed in the same declamatory attitude as Charles himself. Although Charles, at least in his younger years, was considered to be a great orator, perhaps a better preacher than his brother John, it is not this talent for which he is renowned; instead, of course it is his role as the prolific poet composer of some of the

most glorious of hymns which gained him the reputation as the Greatest of Christian Hymn writers and the “Sweet Singer of Methodism”. Although, John Wesley said of his brother that, “His least cause for praise was his talent for poetry”, it is, nevertheless, for his Bible based poetry turned hymns that Charles is best remembered. Therefore, while the Museum of Methodism does not have a particular section devoted to Charles Wesley, it does have a display case, the first on the left as you enter the Museum, dedicated to “Speaking of God and Faith”, wherein are on show a selection of hymn books, in several languages, most of which contain hymns composed by Charles Wesley, and possibly even some of those conceived by Charles, while riding over from his home in Marylebone, and written down in John Wesley’s House. In addition to all the reminders of Charles Wesley’s connection with the Wesley’s Chapel campus that have been described in this article, anyone who attends any of the services held in the Chapel on a Sunday, or in the week, will usually be reassured that John’s brother is not forgotten. Almost certainly the major contribution that Charles Wesley made to Methodism, and not only Methodism, but the whole Christian Faith, will be aired. This being in the form of the singing of at least one of the 6000 plus hymns that Charles is said to have composed. Congregations at Wesley’s Chapel services currently use “Singing the Faith” the latest hymn book authorised by the British Methodist Conference, which contains many of Charles best hymns, albeit perhaps in a form that neither he, or his brother, might recognise, but sadly diminished in number from the 240 plus in the “Methodist Hymn Book”, of Methodist reunion time. This Serendipity article began with the question raised by several recent visitors to Wesley’s Chapel concerning the apparent relative absence of references to Charles Wesley, in the Chapel, John Wesley’s House and the Museum of Methodism. The narrative in all these areas of the campus rightly places an

emphasis upon John Wesley, but, as can be seen from this Serendipity article, this does not mean his younger brother is forgotten. Any visitor who doubts this has only to take a tour around, when with a discerning eye, they can see that any misconceptions they might have are amply resolved. Keith Dutton - Heritage Steward

Thursday Lunchtimes in May at Wesley’s Chapel (12.45-1.15pm)

“HONEST TO GOD” By John Robinson

5

th The Man For Others

12

th Worldly Holiness

19

th The New Morality

26

th Recasting The Mould

Cradle Roll Birthdays in May

25th Ezri Akiwumi 5 years May God bless this child and their family.

SUNDAY SERVICES IN MAY 1st 11.00am Morning Service & Holy Communion Preacher: Leslie Griffiths Officiant: Jennifer Potter 8th 9.45am Holy Communion – Jennifer Potter

11.00am Morning Service – Jennifer Potter

15th 9.45am Holy Communion – Leslie Griffiths 11.00am Morning Worship – Leslie Griffiths

22nd 9.45am Holy Communion – Jennifer Potter/Kido Baek 11.00am Morning Service – Jennifer Potter

29th 9.45am Holy Communion – Leslie Griffiths 11.00am Morning Service – Leslie Griffiths 7.00pm Taizé Prayer Service

Church Directory

Dear Friends I’m in the process of compiling the Directory and Handbook for 2016/2017. As a member of the Chapel your name, address and telephone number is printed in the Directory and Handbook which is issued to all members. However, before the booklet is printed, the Data Protection Act requires that I ask your permission before including your details in the directory. You have a right under the Data Protection Act for any or all of this information not to be published. So, unless I hear otherwise, by the end of May, I shall assume that you have no objections to your details being published as in prior years. Finally, if any of your details have changed or are due to change please be sure to inform Tracey Smith or Judith Burton. Kind regards Tracey Smith

CHIDRENS’ PAGE

Weekly programme of events

Sunday 9.45am Holy Communion (except 1st Sunday in month)

11.00am Morning Service 12.30pm Methodist Women in Britain (MWIB)

(First Sunday in the month) 12.30pm Wesley’s Chapel Ghana Fellowship

(Last Sunday in the month) 7.00pm Taizé Evening Service (Last Sunday in the month)

Monday 7.00am Prayer Meeting 2.00pm Sisterhood Fellowship Tuesday 1.05 pm Lunchtime Recital 7.45pm Boys’ Brigade (Company & Seniors: over 11’s) Wednesday 10.00am Stay and Play (pre-school) 12.45pm Service of Holy Communion Thursday 12.45 pm Lunchtime Service Friday 7.00pm Boys’ Brigade & Girls’ Association

(Juniors: 8-11 years)

If you would like to submit an article, poem, prayer or item of interest for this magazine please email it to:

pa@wesleyschapel.org.uk or leave it at the Church Office marked FAO Tracey Smith